The 2015 Tata Steel Masters held last month at Wijk aan Zee in the Netherlands was won by Magnus Carlsen of Norway. Carlsen started badly with two draws and a loss, before a six-game winning streak propelled him into the lead. Four more draws over the closing rounds were enough for outright first on 9/13.
Although this was a convincing victory for the 24 year old world champion, an ominous sign was the four players sharing second on 8½ were his age or younger. Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (24, France), Anish Giri (20, Netherlands), Wesley So (21, USA) and Ding Liren (22, China) have all made significant advances into the top ten of the world rankings. Many expect Carlsen's crown to come under challenge from one of these players, along with 22 year old Fabiano Caruana of Italy.
Today's game is the sixth win of Carlsen's streak, from the ninth round at Wijk aan Zee. He is White against Teimour Radjabov of Azerbaijan.
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 4.d3
Deviating from the main lines of the Ruy Lopez Berlin Defence starting 4.O-O Nxe4. 4... Bc5 5.O-O d6 6.Nbd2 O-O 7.Bxc6 bxc6 8.h3 h6 9.Re1 Re8 10.Nf1 a5
The game Adams-Kramnik 2013 continued 10... d5!? 11.exd5 Qxd5 and Black was able to activate his pieces and won despite his weak queenside pawns. 11.Ng3 Rb8 12.b3 Bb4 13.Bd2 Ra8 14.c3 Bc5 15.d4 Bb6 16.dxe5 dxe5 17.c4 Nh7 18.Qe2 Nf8 19.Be3 c5?!
This strange looking move, reducing the power of his dark squared bishop to that of a pawn, seems motivated around a strategy of placing his knight on the d4 outpost. 20.Rad1 Qf6 21.Nh5 Qe7 22.Nh2! Kh7
The threats from the two knights mean Black is unable to realise his plan and so suffers from the absence of his bishop in defence. 22... Ne6 23.Bxh6! gxh6 24.Ng4 Kh8 25.Nxh6 Nd4 26.Qe3!, and the queen enters the kingside with a winning attack. 23.Qf3 f6 24.Ng4 Bxg4 25.Qxg4 Red8 26.Qf5+ Kh8 27.f4 Rxd1 28.Rxd1 exf4 29.Bxf4 Qe6 30.Rd3 Re8
Allowing a brilliant flourish by the world champion. But after 30... Qxf5 (30... a4 31.Rg3! breaks through on g7) 31.exf5 Re8 32.Kf2 Re7 33.Re3! Rxe3 34.Kxe3 the poor bishop and weak queenside pawns leave black little hope in the ending. 31.Nxg7!! Kxg7 32.Qh5 Nh7 33.Bxh6+ Kh8 34.Qg6 Qg8
Or 34... Rg8 bringing about today's diagram, when 35.Rd8! forces mate. 35.Bg7+ Qxg7 36.Qxe8+ Qf8 37.Qe6 Qh6
Hoping for a perpetual check. If 37... Ng5 38.Qf5 and 39.e5 follows as in the game. 38.e5 Qc1+ 39.Kh2 Qf4+ 40.Rg3
Black resigns, as after 40... Ng5 41.Qe7! the threat of 42.exf6 means he will lose his knight.
Younger generation comes to fore
Problem: White to play and mate in 4.
The 2015 Tata Steel Masters held last month at Wijk aan Zee in the Netherlands was won by Magnus Carlsen of Norway. Carlsen started badly with two draws and a loss, before a six-game winning streak propelled him into the lead. Four more draws over the closing rounds were enough for outright first on 9/13.
Although this was a convincing victory for the 24 year old world champion, an ominous sign was the four players sharing second on 8½ were his age or younger. Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (24, France), Anish Giri (20, Netherlands), Wesley So (21, USA) and Ding Liren (22, China) have all made significant advances into the top ten of the world rankings. Many expect Carlsen's crown to come under challenge from one of these players, along with 22 year old Fabiano Caruana of Italy.
Today's game is the sixth win of Carlsen's streak, from the ninth round at Wijk aan Zee. He is White against Teimour Radjabov of Azerbaijan.
1.e4 e5
2.Nf3 Nc6
3.Bb5 Nf6
4.d3
Deviating from the main lines of the Ruy Lopez Berlin Defence starting 4.O-O Nxe4.
4... Bc5
5.O-O d6
6.Nbd2 O-O
7.Bxc6 bxc6
8.h3 h6
9.Re1 Re8
10.Nf1 a5
The game Adams-Kramnik 2013 continued 10... d5!? 11.exd5 Qxd5 and Black was able to activate his pieces and won despite his weak queenside pawns.
11.Ng3 Rb8
12.b3 Bb4
13.Bd2 Ra8
14.c3 Bc5
15.d4 Bb6
16.dxe5 dxe5
17.c4 Nh7
18.Qe2 Nf8
19.Be3 c5?!
This strange looking move, reducing the power of his dark squared bishop to that of a pawn, seems motivated around a strategy of placing his knight on the d4 outpost.
20.Rad1 Qf6
21.Nh5 Qe7
22.Nh2! Kh7
The threats from the two knights mean Black is unable to realise his plan and so suffers from the absence of his bishop in defence. 22... Ne6 23.Bxh6! gxh6 24.Ng4 Kh8 25.Nxh6 Nd4 26.Qe3!, and the queen enters the kingside with a winning attack.
23.Qf3 f6
24.Ng4 Bxg4
25.Qxg4 Red8
26.Qf5+ Kh8
27.f4 Rxd1
28.Rxd1 exf4
29.Bxf4 Qe6
30.Rd3 Re8
Allowing a brilliant flourish by the world champion. But after 30... Qxf5 (30... a4 31.Rg3! breaks through on g7) 31.exf5 Re8 32.Kf2 Re7 33.Re3! Rxe3 34.Kxe3 the poor bishop and weak queenside pawns leave black little hope in the ending.
31.Nxg7!! Kxg7
32.Qh5 Nh7
33.Bxh6+ Kh8
34.Qg6 Qg8
Or 34... Rg8 bringing about today's diagram, when 35.Rd8! forces mate.
35.Bg7+ Qxg7
36.Qxe8+ Qf8
37.Qe6 Qh6
Hoping for a perpetual check. If 37... Ng5 38.Qf5 and 39.e5 follows as in the game.
38.e5 Qc1+
39.Kh2 Qf4+
40.Rg3
Black resigns, as after 40... Ng5 41.Qe7! the threat of 42.exf6 means he will lose his knight.
1-0
Solution: 1.Rd8! Nf8 (1... Rxd8 2.Qg7#; 1... Qf7 2.Qxf7; 1... Qe8 2.Rxe8 etc.) 2.Rxf8 Qf7 3.Qxf7 and 4.Qg7#.